Juventus signing their striker of the future in Patrik Schick

Juventus look set to make their first big signing of the summer, with Czech striker Patrik Schick joining for a reported €29.5 million from Sampdoria.

Schick, who turned 21 in January, had a slow start to life in Serie A with Sampdoria last season but became an impact player for the Blucerchiati by the end of the season, scoring 11 goals in 32 league appearances, with two more goals in Coppa Italia action. Six of those goals came off the bench, showing that he can make a major impact on a match no matter when he steps onto the pitch.

Tall and strong, Schick has the kind of frame every team likes in a No. 9, and he’s got the athleticism and on-ball skills to make people even more excited. As a young player he’s still prone to occasional mistakes — misplaced passes, staying on the ball too long, things like that — but he also showed steady and significant progression just over the course of last season, giving Juventus fans plenty of reason to get excited about their latest signing.

Schick doesn’t have explosive speed, but he is quick enough to get where he needs to go, especially with a surprisingly good sense of when to time his runs compared to other players his age. He’s got a decent eye for a pass, too, helping make his rather opportunistic skill set even a bit more dangerous since he won’t always just bull-rush his way toward goal.

If there’s one thing Schick needs to improve on, it’s his ability in the air. He’s tall and strong enough to be decent when the ball is up high, but that’s also definitely not where he’s at his best — he is far, far better with the ball at his feet than he is when he has to go up. To make his skill set more well-rounded, Juventus’ coaching staff will have to put in a lot of work with Schick to get him functioning better in the air so that he’s a bit less predictable.

That said, Schick likely won’t be suiting up for the Old Lady just yet — Sampdoria president Massimo Ferrero wants to try to hold onto the young Czech star for one more season on loan. And given Juventus’ policies regarding getting younger players time on the pitch by whatever means necessary, it would make sense for them to do just that.

Schick already knows the club and the system, and despite a poor finish to this past season, Sampdoria are poised to be in the mix for a Europa League spot in Serie A next season. That’s a good place to put a player like him in to develop, with a good system and high stakes to help push him even higher.

Gonzalo Higuain is likely to have a couple of years left at the top of his game, but the Bianconeri hope they already have their next great goalscorer waiting behind him.